If only you knew
by Special Agent Chibi
Summary: She wanted to tell her. She knew exactly how she felt, though it was a strange feeling. Until that day when the cloads cried and she loses her chance... PaineRikku


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**If only you knew…**

By Chibi-Sorrow

She clutched the dying body of her friend closer to her, tears that had not fallen from her eyes since she was a child threatening to fall now after so many years. Her best friend, her unclaimed love, was bleeding so badly… Her wounds were so deep, so massive… They bled with so much atrocity for such a small girl.

The fiend had to have come out of nowhere to distract and harm such a swift and strong young woman. It ripped to shreds the short skirt, leaving bleeding gouges among her long, smooth legs. The beast had missed the young girl's bikini top, but instead took it upon itself to attack her bare stomach, deep gash penetrating the once smooth skin. She had to have hit the ground hard, for she had a deep gash just before her hairline, crying blood. She must have screamed, throwing what sounded like a grenade as well, in one last attempt to save herself.

And, miraculously, Paine heard the scream and explosion from almost a mile away. Rikku and she had separated in hopes of finding the sphere that Buddy had found through sphere waves on the Gullwing. Yuna was no longer with them, having left with her Tidus after he was returned to the shores of Besaid. So it left Rikku and Paine with the rest of the Gullwings. They still hunted Spheres in order to try and make some Gil, doing odd jobs as well.

After hearing that bloodcurdling scream, knowing the origins of it as well as the bomb, Paine ran in the opposite direction throughout the pouring rain of the Thunder Plains. Her crimson eyes searched in desperation for her blonde haired companion, praying that she was alright. She had no Potions left on her, both her and Rikku figuring they wouldn't need it. And neither of them had the White Mage dress sphere with them. Praying was all she could do to keep herself sane… until she saw the blood spreading throughout the dark plains, staining the soil under her and surrounding a small body lying in the mud…

It took everything she had not to scream at the sight that was before her. A mesh of pyreflies were soaring through the air and on the ground, that bloodstained ground that would forever stain her already tainted mind, lay her little Rikku. The girl she had come to care for as more than a friend, as more than a sister, as more than anything that could be described in words. Rikku lay on her side, not moving an inch, looking as if she wasn't even drawing a breath.

Paine's eyes widened even more in fear as she ran to the girl's side, kneeling in the bloody mess surrounding her and pulling the tattered Al-Bhed into her awaiting arms. Rikku was an absolute mess. Blood stained her pure skin, defiling its normal angelic glow and giving it a rusty appearance. Her clothes were in ruins beyond anything ever seen.

Paine knew panicking would not help, but she couldn't help the feeling surging up in her, as she lay Rikku down on the ground again, laying her head to Rikku's chest, listening, _feeling _for a heartbeat. She let out a small sigh of relief as she felt the teenager's chest press against her ear as Rikku struggled to breath. Paine drew the girl into her arms again, blinking back any emotion as the rain fell down upon their forms.

"Paine… oh, Paine, it _hurts_…" Her voice came off weak and strained as tears fell in rivets down her once sun-kissed skin. Now her skin was nothing but a sickening pale, draining all the color from her face. Her lips, once a pale, gorgeous pink, were nothing but an even paler blue. Oh, how had she come to this?

"Shh, I know… Just hold on, Rikku. Don't let go." There came the murmured reply of Paine as she gently held the girl off the ground, trying to avoid hitting her wounds. There was so much blood…

Paine reached into Rikku's pocket, withdrawing the commsphere as she held Rikku to herself with one arm. She repeated tried to get the commsphere to work as the rain continued to beat down on them, Rikku slipping away by the second. She let out a growl of frustration as the commsphere continued to be stubborn and not work. There was no way she could get to the Inn in time… That would take at least an hour's walk.

_'Stupid faulty equipment!'_ Paine thought as let out another growl and punched the ground next to her.

"Paine…" Rikku's voice sounded even farther away now as she barely spoke above a whisper.

Paine quickly looked down upon the angel in her arms, the angel that was slowly drifting away. She dropped the commsphere, wrapping both arms back around Rikku, holding her gently to herself. She could feel her heart go into her throat, her eyes filling up with something warm as Rikku put an already bloodied hand to her lips and coughed, blood splaying over her hand and onto Paine as well.

"What is it, Rikku?" Paine questioned quietly, looking up to the darkened storm clouds overhead. She didn't want to look at the girl.

"Just how many… respect points did I lose… this time?" Rikku's weakened voice held a tad bit of humor in it. Paine felt something well up in her throat, making her let out a sort of choking noise. She looked back down at Rikku, her eyes full with abnormal tears that did not fall, a smirk gracing her pale lips.

"None, Rikku…in fact, you gained points. You're on eighty-seven, now." Paine said this out painfully, her voice hoarse as she choked over the words.

"That's awesome… I'm glad… I'm at least higher… than I was before…" Rikku whispered gently as she leaned her head onto Paine's chest, right in-between her breasts, hearing her heart beat beneath her ear.

"Come on, Rikku… We need to find a way to get to the airship." murmured Paine as she attempted to lift Rikku up. Rikku let out a cry of agony and that immediately set Paine into panic mode as she brought Rikku back down to the ground. Rikku let out a whimper of pain as she clung to Paine, coughing up a large amount of blood again.

"Please… No moving… Let's just… stay here for a bit… I'll be fine…" she said softly as she closed her eyes, the sign of her Al-Bhedian heritage.

"No, Rikku. W-we need to go. You'll _die_ if we don't heal you soon." The panic this time clearly rose in her voice as she looked down at Rikku's tired, bloody face. She looked as if she was ready to give in… "No! Come on, Rikku! Stay awake. Just stay with me. Do not go to sleep!"

Rikku opened her eyes partially, looking up at Paine. She gave Paine a gentle smile, reaching her hand up to cup Paine's cheek in her soft, blood-spattered palm. Her thumb slowly grazed Paine's cheek as Paine gave her a strange expression before placing her own hand over Rikku's.

"You're beautiful… Did you know this? I always… thought that…" Rikku trailed off again as she coughed again, blood once more staining her skin, the ground and Paine all in once, thought to Paine it didn't matter. She was dying! Rikku stopped her coughing and looked up to Paine again, her eyes dimmer than before. "You know… there's something I've…always wanted to tell you…"

Paine looked at Rikku, noticing her fading fast. She was too late. Rikku was going to die, right here in her arms and there was nothing she could do about it. She needed to tell Rikku…

Before she…

"Rikku…I-" Paine was suddenly cut off as she felt an arm loop itself around her shoulders and a pair of soft lips meeting her own. She could smell, taste the rusty feeling of blood upon her own lips as the arm around her shoulders tightened and the kiss deepened. After what seemed like hours and seconds at the same time, Rikku pulled away from Paine, slumping down into her arms. Paine was sure she was blushing and was almost sure Rikku would have been, too, had she had the blood in her body.

"I know, Paine… Or at least… I thought I knew… I was right… Wasn't I…?" questioned Rikku as she looked up to Paine with eyes full of so many emotions, though they were still clouded over. Pain, fear, exhaustion and…love filled her eyes to the brim as tears fell from those beautiful emerald swirled eyes. Paine nodded her head, letting out a choked sob, the tears in her crimson eyes still not spilling. Rikku smiled up at her briefly, just one more time, before her body convulsed for a moment and she relaxed greatly in Paine's embrace. She opened her mouth and with her last breath, spoke the word's Paine had been waiting to hear for so long…

"_E muja oui…vunajan_…" she whispered with the last of her strength before her chest stopped rising and falling and her heart beat for the final time. Paine closed her eyes, tears now spilling over, sliding down her cheeks in never ending streams. She let out another broken sob as she pulled Rikku's body closer to herself. All became silent, only the falling rain pattering onto the ground around them broke the silence.

Paine stood up, carefully cradling Rikku's body in her arms as she looked up to the blackened sky above. No longer did she sob as the tears made their course down her pale skin. She closed her eyes briefly, taking in a deep breath before saying the words she couldn't before.

"I love you, Rikku… Wherever you may be. Forever." she said quietly to herself as she walked off towards the direction of Guadosalem so she could contact the others and they could properly send Rikku.

'I'll never forget you…'

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Well… There it is. My most recent piece of work. Written in only a few hours. Not bad for me. I hope you enjoyed it, though I'm sorry for the sad ending. I couldn't help it. There is very little chance for a sequel. This is just a one-shot. Well, I am off to bed. Please give me your honest opinions on this. Bye bye!

_Chibi-Sorrow_


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